The 39 Clues: Fanfic - The Secret
by TheTotalDrama39
Summary: Dan & Amy Cahill finished thought the quest for the 39 Clues were their worst problem. Then a sinister group known as the Vespers tried to steal a ring belonging to their ancestor Gideon Cahill. They saved the ring and stopped the Vespers. They're beat. They're tired. But they're adventure is far from over. Isabel Kabra wants the Clues, and she will use Dan's secret to get them.
1. Chapter 1

Dan Cahill lay on his couch bored as he'd ever felt. Life seemed so boring now that he had finished the Clue hunt. He stared at his computer waiting for his friend, his _only_ friend, Atticus, to take his turn in their virtual chess game.

Life seemed so boring since him and his sister, Amy, had finished their quest for the 39 Clues. A quest that they thought they had no chance of winning. But they surprised everyone, including themselves, when they turned out to be the champions.

To Dan, this was both good, and bad. It was good because it meant that the power of the clues wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. It was bad because it meant that he would forever have the serum to ultimate power locked in his head, something that killed him inside.

After circling the globe, risking his life to find Clues he didn't even want, where was he now? Home alone, still as much of an outcast as always. Atticus made his move, and Dan saw his chance to put Atticus in check mate. He was about to beat him when the doorbell rang.

Dan jumped to his feet, and ran to the door, expecting the pizza he ordered. Only when he opened the door, it wasn't pizza. It was Ian Kabra, Amy and Dan's very, very distant cousin and greatest adversary during the Clue Hunt.

Dan noticed the way the light seemed to bounce off his skin. And he hated himself for noticing.

"Well?" Ian started. His accent seemed more noticeable than normal to Dan. "Are you going to invite me in or just stand there staring at me?"

Dan blushed. He hadn't even noticed he'd been staring. "No, whatever you want to say you can say from out here." Dan said coldly. He forced himself to remember all the times during the Clue Hunt that Ian had attempted to kill him. Although no matter how many times he thought of, he found his mind slowly wandering into good thoughts of him.

"Very well Daniel," Dan hated to be called by his first name, although for some reason it didn't bother him this time. Ian continued, "Where is your sister? I have very important Cahill business to talk to her about."

"Whatever you have to tell her, you can tell me, Ian. I'm just as much head of the family as she is." Dan shot back. Why did his voice crack when he said Ian's name.

Ian looked him over. "Right, well, this is big kid stuff." Ian said in a mocking tone. Dan didn't seem to notice, but found his mind wandering again in thoughts of Ian.

"Okay, Ian" He answered simply. It was all he could manage to say. "I'll tell her you were here."

Ian gave Dan a weird look, almost a look of concern, but it faded and he left.

Dan closed the door, and just stared at it. He had a weird feeling. A feeling almost like he _missed_ Ian. But that was impossible. He hated Ian, and he had just left a few seconds ago.

He heard his computer beep, and he realized he'd forgotten about his game with Atticus. He ran over, still feeling as though something was missing.

….

Ian walked away from the Cahill mansion feeling terrible. He could tell something was wrong with Dan, and that worried him. Dan didn't seem focused. Almost as if he wasn't there at all.

Ian climbed back into the taxi he took there, and told them the address to take him to. He felt a tear roll down his face. He wiped away the tear and forced himself to stop. He hadn't even cried when his mother had shot his sister, why would he cry now.

But he still felt another tear roll down his face. He couldn't stop himself knowing there was something bothering Dan Cahill. The person he loved.

….

Amy walked into the house feeling great. The way she always did after being with her boyfriend Evan Tolliver. She looked over at her bother Dan, laying on the couch playing chess with his friend, and empty box of pizza sitting next to him.

"Hey Dan," She said.

"Hey." He replied simply, he seemed distant in his answer.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"Fine," He answered, "How was your date with Evan?"

The question seemed normal enough, but it struck Amy as odd. Dan never took an interest in Amy's personal life. Why the sudden change? Something was wrong. "Fine," She repeated, and asked, "Is everything ok?"

Dan jumped to his feet, he started yelling at her, "Everything's fine! Why wouldn't I be ok?!"

With that, he ran up to his room and slammed the door shut.

And that left Amy standing there, wondering what had come over her little brother.


	2. Chapter 2

Dan stormed around his room. How dare Amy come home and assume she knows everything. He threw himself down onto his pillow and screamed as loud into it as he could. He felt tears rolling down. He wanted to just have someone there to tell him everything was going to be ok. Tell him things will get better. _But they aren't_, He thought, _they'll only get worse. They always get worse._

He punched the wall, and when that didn't help, he did the only other thing that made sense.

He lay down and cried as hard as he could.

….

Ian got out of the car and could tell instantly something was wrong. The front door to him and his sister's apartment was wide open, and off its hinges.

He ran inside and began to frantically scream for his sister. He searched the whole apartment, until he eventually found a note. It read:

Ian,

Congratulations on losing the Clue Hunt. You truthfully disappointed me. Then letting them arrest me? I thought you were better than that. Guess I raised a failure. This time you're going to make your mom proud. Bring me the Clues, and if you fail, I don't think you _or_ your sister will like the outcome.

Sincerely,

Isabel Kabra

Ian felt his heart stop. His mother had Natalie. He knew that this meant Natalie's life was on the line. That wasn't something he wanted to bargain with. He pretended like he didn't like his sister, but secretly, she meant everything to him.

He had to get those clues. No matter what the cost.

….

Amy heard Dan punch the wall. Thoughts flew around in her head, but only one could form. It was happening again. Something big was coming. She could feel it. And that thought scared her. Last time there were moments when she thought she was going to lose her brother. If that ever happened, she would have nothing.

She had already lost too much, she wouldn't lose Dan too.

….

Dan picked up his phone as soon as the text came in.

_You ok, Dan? You could've easily won our game earlier._ It was Atticus.

Dan quickly typed back, _Yeah, I'm fine._ He knew that was a lie. He felt his breath growing shorter, as he felt a pain spread in his chest. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He reached into his pocket expecting another text from Atticus.

He wasn't expecting a text from Ian.

….

Ian regretted sending the text almost as fast as he'd sent it. Was he really willing to use Dan to get the Clues? He felt so conflicted inside. His brain screamed at him to, but his heart told him it was wrong. He was never good at choosing which to listen to.

_Dan, we need to talk. It's important. Come to my apartment. Preferably alone._ The text reread itself in his head. He stared at his phone, waiting for a reply. Anything, even a no, would at least signify that Isabel hadn't done anything to Dan.

His heart skipped a beat when the text came back. _On my way,_ he read. Ian's mind raced. How was he going to play this? _Why am I having so much trouble with this?_ He wondered. _I'm usually a great liar._

The doorbell rang and Ian ran to answer it. Standing there was Dan Cahill, the one person he loved, and would always love. _I have to stop letting my feelings get in the way, I _have_ to save Natalie._

"So why did you want me to come over?" Dan questioned.

Ian was about to say the lie he had settled on, but found himself at a loss for words. "I love you." He heard someone say. But it wasn't Dan's voice. It was his own.

….

Dan stood in shock. _Did Ian just say he loved me?!_ Suddenly he felt himself pulled forward, and before he knew it, he kissed Ian.

Dan saw a look of shock pass over Ian's face, but this quickly faded, as both Ian and his eyes closed. Then, Ian pulled back.

"What the hell, Dan?!" He yelled. "I can't deal with this right now!"

Dan thought he saw a look of worry pass over Ian's face. "Why? What's wrong?"

Ian didn't even bother to lie to Dan. He told him that his mother had Natalie and was holding her ransom for the Clues, and if he didn't hand them over, then she would likely kill Natalie.

Dan didn't know what to say. He stood there feeling conflicted. "Ian, you know we can't give her the Clues…"

Ian's face turned cold. "So what? You just want me to let her kill my sister?!"

"No, that's not what I said."

"Dan, you have to understand, she's all I have left" When he said this, Dan instantly thought of Amy.

"We'll find a way out of this, I promise." He felt his phone go off. "Amy's calling, I have to get home. Text me."

….

Ian walked Dan out, then realized how overcome with feelings he was. He felt guilty over letting his mom get his sister, scared that he might lose her, and happy that he and Dan were together, all at the same time.

What he didn't expect to feel was the pain of a fist hitting him in the face. But that's exactly what he felt as he entered his house. He felt himself fall back and hit his head on the ground, then the blood trickling down his face.

_No, please, don't let Dan get dragged into this. This isn't about him._ He thought. That was his last thought, before everything went black.

….

Dan stared at his phone and waited for his text from Ian. When a text from an unknown number came in, he was surprised. He opened it anyway.

_I have Ian. If you don't tell me the clues by the end of the week, then I will kill him. –Isabel._

Dan shuddered. He couldn't get Amy's help with this one. She'd try to talk him out of it. She would never understand how much Ian meant to him.

He was on his own this time.


End file.
